Light-weight luggage box fastener and carrier



March 26, 1957 E. P. ARPlN. JR

LIGHT-WEIE-IT LUGGAGE BOX FASTENER AND CARRIER Filed June 50, 1954 I \i v v nll lul United States Patent LIGHT-WEIGHT LUGGAGE BOX FASTENER AND CARRIER Edmund P. Arpin, Jr., Neenah, Wis.

Application June 30, 1954, Serial No. 440,489

4 Claims. (Cl. 19041) The present invention relates to a new and improved light-weight luggage box and to a novel fastener and carrier therefor.

More particularly it relates to a two-piece, light-weight, box-like luggage structure having novel cooperating fastener elements provided on the end Walls and bottom walls of the box.

The primary objects of this invention is to provide an inexpensive, light-weight luggage article of the twopiece, box-type wherein convenient carrying means are provided on one portion of the box and are adapted to engage cooperating fastener elements on the other portion to retain the two portions in proper luggage boxforming relationship during use.

Another object is to provide a light-weight luggage box having an upper box portion telescopically and removably disposed over a lower box portion, wherein the upper and lower box portions are held in luggage boxforming relationship by novel and inexpensive cooperating fastener elements mounted on the upper and lower box portions.

Still another object is to provide an inexpensive, disposable, light-weight luggage box which may be employed conveniently in packing and storing various articles, particularly clothes, and which is especially adaptable for packing clothes in motor travel.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following discussion taken in conjunction with a preferred embodiment of the instant invention as shown on the annexed sheet of drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the luggagebox of the instant invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the box shown in Figure l; I

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the novel carrying means and cooperating fastener elements employed on the instant luggage box;

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken'along line lVIV of Figure 1, and;

Figure 5 is a view taken along line VV of Figure 3.

In accordance with the instant invention a luggage box shown generally at is provided forconvenient packing or storing of various articles, particularly clothes. The luggage box 10 comprises two half-box portions; namely an upper box member or box half 11 and a lower or bottom box half or box member 12. Both the upper box half 11 and the lower box half 12 are preferably formed of a light-weight, inexpensive material which may be readily disposed of, if desired, and which may suitably include paper, box board, corrugated board, fiber board and similar materials. I

The upper box member 11 comprises parallel, opposed end walls 13, 13 and parallel, opposed side walls 14, 14 and integral rectangular top portion 15 spanning the space between the end and side walls 13 and 14 and preferably integral therewith.

The lower box half or bottom box member 12comprises parallel, opposed end walls 16, 16 and parallel,

2,786,557 Patented Mar. 26, 1957 ice I lower box portion 12, as seen in Figure 4, are formed in theinstant embodiment with a corrugated cardboard reinforcement or liner 16a.

To facilitate the packingof clothes in the luggage box- 10 a hanger support 19 is provided on the bottom portion 18 ofthe lower box 12 intermediate the side walls 17 and adjacent an end wall 16 thereof. In the embodiment-shown in Figures 4 and 5, the hanger support 19 has a generallyangular configuration and comprises a generally upstanding first leg 20 and a generally sloping or angular second leg 21 formed integrally therewith. The legs 20 and 21, which are preferably formed of wire or .a similar rod-like material, are pivotally mounted to the bottom portion 18 by means of foot portions 22 and 23 formed integrally with the free ends of the first leg 20 and the second leg 21, respectively. The feet 22 and 23 are retained for pivotal movement by strap supports 24 and 25 respectively. The foot portions, in-

dicated by the arrowed leads from numbers 22 and 23,

I vices.

are hidden in the drawings by the strap supports 24 and 25. The strap supports 24 and 25 comprise a substantially semi-cylindrical or yoke-shaped foot-retaining portion 26 having laterally extending, generally rectangular base portions 27 formed integrally therewith. The strap hinges 24and 25 are secured to the bottom portion 18 of the lower box member 12 by means of rivets 28 or similar fastening means.

The hanger support 19, as seen in Figures 4 and 5, is normally held in an upright position by means of arcuate cut out or locking portions 29 and 30 respectively formed on the strap hinges 24 and'2 5. When not in use the hanger support 19 may be disengaged from the locking portions 29 and 30 swung conveniently out of position to lie flat against the bottom portion 18 of the lower box member 12 as shown by dotted lines in Figure 5.

The upper box member 11 is of a slightly larger dimension than the lower or bottom box half 12. This allows the upper box member to be removably disposed telescopically over the lower or bottom box half 12;

Means are provided on the bottom box member 12 for grasping or carrying the luggage box 10. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4 such means comprise a pair of parallel spaced opposed plates 31, 31 mounted on the bottom portion 18 of the lower box member 12 adjacent the end walls 16, and intermediate the side walls 17, by means of rivets 32 or similar fastening de- The free ends of the plates 31 extend laterally beyond the end walls 16 and are bent to conform generally to the contour of the corner of the lower box member 12 as at 33. The outermost or edge portion of the laterally extending free end of the plate 31 is bent into a substantially cylindrical configuration to provide a pintle-receiving loop 34. A generally rectangular or U-shaped wire handle 35 is retained by and pivotally mounted in the vloop- 34. A substantially rectangular aperture or slit 36 is providedin the laterallyextending Means are provided on the upper box member 11 for resiliently engaging the carrying means on the lower box portion 12 for retaining the upper and lower box mem,

bers 11 and 12 in proper luggage box-forming relationship during use. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, such means comprisea pair of generally rectangular The function of-this aperture 36 will be exspring metal plates 37, 37 having a flat latch spring 38 formed integrally therewith. The plates 37, 37 are mounted in parallel spaced (opposed relationship on the end walls- 13, 13 ofjthe upper box member 1151015; the bottom edge thereof intermediate the side walls 14, 14 by a suitable means such as rivets or the like 39. I The latch spring 38, whichisformed integrally with the plate 37, comprises an elongated, 'generally rectangular depending member extending slightly below the lower edge of theplate 37. As seen best in Figure 4, the sprin 38 is bent outwardly and downwardly so as to exert a resilient pressure outwardly from the end wall "13. v The free edge ofthe'la'teh 'spring38;is'folded back'upon itself as at 49 q inan abu nn js b d s 4.

n "In assembling the upper box member 11 and the'low'e'r 20 me ber .1 i jb bi rf u 's ge -fo m ng l tionship, onefmerfily slida'bly engages the upper box member lif 'rthe we box member in a telescopic maiiner. The; ring latch "38j'isinitiallydepressed inwardly toward the nd wall of the upper box member 11 by suitable manual pressure, if necessary. The upper box member 11 is then advanced telescopically downwardly. The positions of the plates 37, 37 mounted on the end walls 13,13 of the upper box member 11 ar such "that the springlatch 38 when depressed is in proper alignment to be slid'a'bly received'by [the aperture 36 in the plate 31 mounted on thelower' box member 12. When the upper box member 11 has been advanced downwardly to its lower'lim'it and the spring latch 33 aligned in and 'received by the aperture 36, the pressure urging the latch spring-38 inwardly is released. This allows the spring latch 38 to be urged resiliently outwardly-against the cylindrical portion 34. The abutment shoulder 41 on the spring latch 38 is forced resilientlyagainst the underside of the loop Maud restricts upward movement of the upper box member 11. In this fashion the cooperating fastener elements in the form of the spring latch 38 on the upper box portion resiliently urged against the loop 34' on thelower plate 31 assure a tight locking together of the upper and lower box portions 11 and 12, respectively, while the luggage box is being'employed.

In removing the upper box member 11 from the lower box member lZ the above procedure is simply reversed. That is, the, spring latch'38 is depressed inwardly toward the end walls 1 3 and the upper box member 11 slidably disengaged upwardly from the lower box member '12.

Although the plate 3 1 havin g the handle 35 mounted thereonand the latch spring 38 are shown to be mounted onthe end of portions or the upper and lower boxmeimbers, itlwill be obvious thatthey could bemounted also on the side walls, or on both the end and side walls if desired, I he V t One of the distinct advantages and features of the in stant luggage box 10 is its use in packing clothes for motor travel. The regular, rectangular shape of the luggage box 10 allows a plurality of such boxes to be stacked neatly and compactly in anautomobile trunk with minimum waste of space. I, In addition, the luggage box 10, being produced preferablyfrorn an inexpensive material, such as box board or the like, may be disposed of at the end of a journey, thereby eliminating the necessity of storing or. shipping emptycontainers.

Another feature of the instant luggage box is the location of the handling or grasping means in the form of handles 35 mounted adjacent the bottom surface thereof. This structure makes it possible to carry easily two such luggage boxes in one hand. That is, by placing two luggage boxes 10 with their bottom portions 18 in face-tof'ace engagement, the handles 35 are brought into aligned, superposed relationship. This allows one to grasp the handles 35 or both boxes with one hand and permits carrying of at least two boxes in each hand with case.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have now provided a new andiinproved, light-weight, in-

expensive, and disposable luggage box, having inexpensive, but permanent cooperating fastener elements thereon for firmly holding the component parts of the article in luggage-box-forming relationship.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

l. A luggage box, which comprises an upper half-box portion, a bottom half-box portion, said upper half-box portion being adapted to being 'removably disposed telescopically over said bottom half-box portion, plates mounted on said bottom half-box portion and extending laterally therefrom, eachof said plates defining an aperture and providing means for mounting a handle on said luggage box, latch springs mounted on said upper half box portion, said latchsprings being adapted to be received'by said apertures "in said plates and locking means between said springs and plates for retaining said latch springs in said apertures andretaining the upper and bottom half-box portions in telescopically disposed luggage box-forming relationship.

2. In a luggage box, an upper box member, said upper box member comprising parallel opposed end and side walls and a top portion, a lower box member, said lower box member comprising parallel opposed end and side walls and a bottom portion, said upper box member being adapted to be'removably disposed telescopically over said bottom box member, a pair of parallel spaced opposed plates mounted on the bottom portion of said lower box member adjacent the end walls thereof, said plates having the free edges thereof projecting laterally from said end 'walls, said free edges providing means defining an aperture'in each of saidplates, means for handling said luggage box mounted on said 'free edges, a pair of parallel opposed spaced latch springs mounted on the end walls of 'saidupper box member, and locking means between said latch springs and said plates, said latch springs being adapted to be received by and held in place in said apertures in said plates, by the locking means for retaining said upper and lower box members in the telescopically disposed luggage box-forming relationship.

3. In a luggage box including an upper box member having parallel opposed end and side walls and a top portion, a lower box member having parallel opposed 'end and sidewalls anda bottom portion, said upper box member being adapted to be removably disposed telescopically over said'lower box member, the improvement which comprises providing a, pair of parallel opposed plates on said bottom portion of said lower box member adjacent the end walls thereof and extending laterally therefrom, means defining an aperture in said laterally extending portion of each of said plates, handles pivotally mounted onsaid laterally extending portions, a pair of parallel opposed spaced latch springs mounted on the end Walls of said upper box member, and locking means between said plates and said latch springs, said latch springs being adapted to be received by and resiliently engaged with the sides of said apertures in said plates and held therein by said locking means for retaining said upper and lower box members in telescopically disposed luggage boxforming relationship. V

g 4. In a luggage box including an upper box member and a lower box member with the lower box member to be telescopingly received in the upper box member in box-forming relationship, the improvement comprising a plate secured to the lower box member and extending laterally therefrom, said plate having an aperture there in and a handle loop formed thereon, a handle member mountedon said plate in said loop, a latch spring secured to said upper box member anddisposed to cooperate with and extend through js'aid aperture in said plate when said box members are in box-for-ming relationship, and an abutment shoulder portion formed on said latch spring to engage the handle loop on said plate to retain the box members in box-forming relationship.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kruse June 30, 1908 Andrews Aug. 30, 1910 

